Pin distributor



A. J. ALBRECHT PIN DISTRIBUTOR Jan. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1958 "-"zaz m A. J. ALBRECHT PIN DISTRIBUTOR Jan. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 22, 1958 INVENTOR. W

3,018,193 Patented Jan. 23, 1962.

Free

3,01%,103 PIN DISTRTBUTUR Alexander J. Albrecht, West Englewood, N..l., assignor to The Brunswick Automatic Pinsetter Corporation, a corporation of Delaware "Filed Dec. 22, 1953. Ser. No. 782,297 16 Claims. (Cl. 273--43) This invention relates to a bowling pin handling mechanism for use in automatic pinsetter equipment.

It is a general object of the invention to provide -a new and improved pin distributing mechanism for receiving pins from a single source and delivering the pins to a plurality of different positions.

Another object is to provide a new and improved pin distributing mechanism of the type described which utilizes moving masses of relatively light weight thereby enabling the uses of light driving forces and higher speeds in the distribution of pins.

A more specific object is to provide a new and improved pin distributing mechanism including a scissors chute for receiving pins one at a time from a single source and indexable to deliver the pins to a plurality of pin positions angularly spaced about the axis of indexing.

Another object is to provide a pin distributing mechanism of the type described in the preceding paragraph including an indexable scissors chute comprising a pair of chute halves which are closable to support a bowling pin and openable to drop the pin.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a pin distributing mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan View, partly in section along the line 22 of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at about the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at about the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the pin distributing mechanism of this invention includes a cross conveyor for delivering pins one at a time to a pin distributing chute 11 for distributing the pins to a deck structure 12 in turn for delivering the pins to the bowling alley preferably through the medium of a movable pinsetting deck structure (not shown) adapted also to lift standing pins after one bowling ball has been thrown and reset such pins after the alley is cleared of balls and fallen pins. This mechanism is intended primarily for use in automatic pinsetting equipment of the type including means for gathering pins in a bowling alley pit and elevating the pins to a suitable height for delivery to the conveyor 10.

The cross conveyor 10 preferably comprises a suitable conveyor frame 15 having a pulley shaft 16 rotatably mounting a pair of pulleys 17 having conveyor belts 18 passing therearound and also trained about suitable drive pulleys (not shown). The conveyor belts 18 are laterally spaced apart by a distance somewhat less than the diameter of a bowling pin at the belly thereof and have their upper reaches inclined upwardly toward the right and movable toward the right for transporting pins one at a time base first as illustrated at P with the head and neck falling between the belts and dragging along the conveyor frame 15 or other suitable guide means.

The conveyor structure including the frame 15 may be suitably supported by a stationary frame structure including a cross rail having a midportion supporting the conveyor and having opposite end portions suitably fixed at the sides of the alley, for example, in the fashion illustrated in the copending application of William F. Huck and Alexander I. Albrecht, filed September 16, 1955 as Serial No. 534,726, and now Patent No. 2,967,708.

The cross conveyor delivers pins one at a time for distribution by the chute 11 to the deck structure 12. The deck structure comprises a stationary triangularly shaped deck plate 20 having a plurality (usually 10) of pin openings 21 therethrough arranged in a triangular pattern conforming to the arrangement of pins set on an alley for bowling. The pin openings 21 are of a sufficient diameter to pass a bowling pin from above the plate 20 to the bowling alley beneath.

In order to temporarily support individual pins over the pin openings 21 during the time the pins are delivered one at a time to the deck structure, a movable deck plate in skeleton form is provided with a plurality of tongues or spoons 23 overlying the respective pin openings. The spoons are carried respectively on transversely extending cross bars 25, 26, 27 and 28 which are suitably connected together as by forwardly and rearwardly extending bars 29 and 30 having rear ends connected to the cross bar 28, forward ends connected to the cross bar 25, and intermediate portions connected to cross bars 26 and 27.

The movable deck plate 23-30 includes 'a downwardly projecting lug 32 extending to a position beneath the stationary plate 20 and having a tension spring 33 connected thereto and anchored as at 34 on the stationary plate 20, so as to urge the movable deck plate forwardly to a position in which the spoons 23 overlie and obstruct the pin openings 21, thereby to support a pin at each opening. At the proper time, the movable deck plate may be shifted rearwardly so that the spoons do not obstruct the pin openings 21, thereby to drop all the pins simultaneously.

The deck structure 12 may be supported in any suitable manner as, for example, by hanger rods, one as at 37 having its lower end fixed to the rear edge of the deck plate 20 and an upper end suitably secured to a gear box structure (referred to hereinafter), and a pair of hanger rods 38 and 39 having lower ends secured to the deck plate 20 and upper ends secured to a cross rail 41, the latter being comparable to that previously described, and including opposite ends (not shown) secured to a stationary framework (not shown) at opposite sides of the alley.

Pins are guided from the distributing chute 11 to their resting places on the spoons 23 over the pin openings 21 by guide means providing a pin guiding chute or slide extending from the distributing chute to each of the pin openings 21. Each of the pin guiding chutes or slides comprises a pair of opposed pin guiding channels. In the case of the nine outwardly disposed pin openings 21 (that is, excepting the #5 pin opening), each pair of opposed channels includes an inwardly disposed channel as at and an outwardly disposed channel as at 46. Each of the inwardly disposed channels comprises three wire-like guide rods 47 positioned to prevent pins falling therethrough, particularly to prevent the head from falling through, and having lower ends suitably secured to the stationary deck plate 20 and upper ends suitably afiixed to an annular frusto-conical guide member 48 disposed immediately beneath the pin distributing chute 11. In this manner, the guide member 48 and the channel 47 provide a path for movement of a pin from the distributing chute to the pin openings. The outwardly disposed channel 46 comprises a pair of wire-like guide rods 58 in generally upright positions, having lower ends secured to the deck plate 20 and upper ends joined together as at 51. The rods 50 are spaced apart by a suitable distance to prevent movement of a pin outwardly beyond the adjacent pin opening 21 as the pin moves down the opposed pin guiding channel 45.

The guide means to the centrally disposed pin opening 21 includes a three-wire guide channel 45 disposed forwardly of the pin opening and a two-wire guide channel 46 disposed rearwardly of the pin opening. As will be best understood by reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the wires 47 of the pin guiding channel 45 to the #1 position and the wires of the pin guiding channel 45 to the #5 position are joined at their upper ends and rather than being afiixed directly to the annular guide member 43 pass over and are hung on a handle-shaped support 55 having opposite ends suitably secured to the annular guide member 48. This arrangement enables the provision of a gap or opening 56 through the guide member 48 at the right-hand side thereof to enable passage of a pin from the pin distributing chute 11 to the guide means leading to the #5 pin position.

The pin distributing chute 11 is constructed somewhat as a scissors and includes a pair of similar opposed chute halves 60a and 60b disposed in generally parallel positions, inclined downwardly toward the right, and together defining a cavity for holding a bowling pin in an inclined position with the pin base down, substantially as illustrated in broken lines at 19-1 in FIG. 3. As illustrated in full lines in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the chute is disposed in a pin receiving position wherein pins are delivered from the cross conveyor one at a time base first over the top end of the conveyor and over the top end of the chute where they fall into the chute, sliding downwardly therein to a position of rest.

In order to hold a pin in the position illustrated at PA, the chute halves comprisegenerally upright side walls 62 and inwardly extending bottom Walls 63 which project to positions immediately adjacent each other with in the area of the upper end portion of the chute, as seen best in FIG. 2. In the area of the lower portion of the inclined chute, the side walls and the bottom walls are formed so that the configuration of the cavity they provide conforms substantially to the configuration of a bowling pin from the belly downwardly to the pin base, except that the extreme end portions of the walls as at 64 are spaced less than the diameter of the pin at the base to thereby prevent the pin sliding further downwardly than the position P-l illustrated in FIG. 3.

The entire chute is mounted for indexing movement about an upright axis from the pin receiving position shown in full lines to a plurality of angularly spaced pin discharge positions in an annular pattern wherein the chute is adapted to drop pins on the guides leading respectively to the #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #8, #9 and #10 positions. For example, the chute is shown in broken lines in FIG. 3 in a discharge position adapted to deliver a pin to the guide means leading to the #9 pin position. The chute halves 68a and 60b are also mounted for movement relative to each other from the full line pin holding position shown in FIG. 2 to open pin drop positions as shown, for example, in broken lines in FIG. 2. When the chute halves are opened as illustrated in broken line, the pin held by the chute will fall therefrom to the guide means therebeneath. Pins are delivered to both the #1 and the #5 positions when the chute is disposed in the pin receiving position as illustrated in full lines in the drawings by controlling the amount of opening movements. The chute halves open partly to let a pin slide onto the channel 45 leading to the #1 position and open widely to let a pin slide to the guide channel leading to the #5 position.

The means for obtaining indexing of the chute 1 1 and opening and closing of the chute halves 6% and 60b includes a suitable supporting bracket 66 secured to the cross rail 41 as at 67. Rotatably indexab le in the bracket 66 is a depending centrally disposed shaft 68 having a yoke-shaped bracket 69' affixed thereto for indexing movement therewith. The yoke-shaped bracket 69 includes a pair of laterally extending arms 69a and 6% (FIG. 4) each having a depending vertical shaft 71 pivotally mounted therein. The shafts 71, at their lower ends, have the chute halves 60a and 60b respectively secured thereto. In this manner, when the shaft 68 is indexed rotatably, the entire chute 111. is moved angularly about the axis of the shaft to point the chute or, in other words, dispose the delivery end of the chute over the guide means to the respective pin openings in the deck. Also, it will be seen that by rotating the shafts 71 respectively in opposite directions the lower ends of the chute halves may be moved toward and away from each other.

Means for indexing the shaft 68 to turn the chute to the various discharge positions comprises a pulley 75 afiixed on the shaft 68 and having a belt 76 passing therearound. The belt 76 is also trained about a drive pulley 77 forming a part of a gear box indicated diagrammatically at 40. The drive pulley 77 has a bell crank movable therewith including a first arm 78 having a cam follower roller 79 thereon, and a second arm 80 having a spring 81 connected therewith and anchored as at 82 to bias the bell crank in a counter-clockwise direction to maintain the cam follower 79 in contact with the outer peripheral surface of a control cam 83. The cam 83 is rotatably mounted in the gear box 40 and indexable about a central axis as at 84.. It is contemplated that the gear box would include a drive meansfor indexing the cam 83 in a counter-clockwise direction through ten equal steps in a single revolution to successively move control surfaces on the periphery of the cam into engagement with the cam follower 79.

The cam 83 has a plurality of control surfaces thereon, numbered 1-10, corresponding respectively to the pin positions #1 to #10, and the control surfaces so numbered determine the angular position to which the chute is indexed for discharging pins. For example, when the cam surface 5 engages cam follower 79 the chute is positioned to discharge a pin to the #5 position; similarly, when the cam surface 2 engages the cam follower 79 the chute is positioned to deliver pins to the #2 position; and so on. All of the surfaces on the cam 83 have radii between a maximum illustrated by an outer circle shown in broken line at 85 and a minimum represented by an inner circle shown in broken line at 86. Between the outer circle and the inner circle, an intermediate circle illustrated in broken line at 87 may be described as a reference circle, as all surfaces falling on this circle are effective to position the chute in the pin receiving position illustrated in full line. Thus, as the surfaces 5 and 1 fall on the circle 87 it will be evident that pins are discharged to the #5 and #1 positions with the chute in pin receiving position. Between each pair of surfaces 5 and 1, 1 and 2, 2 and 3, etc., there is an intermediate surface as at 3a, 4a, etc. which falls on the intermediate circle 87 in order to return the chute to the pin receiving position after each pin drop in order that the chute will be properly disposed to receive a succeeding pin from the cross conveyor 10.

It will be understood that the shaft 68 and the chute 11 are indexable in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in full line in FIG. 2. All surfaces on the cam falling outside the intermediate circle 87 cause movement of the bell crank 78, 80 and the chute in a clockwise direction to effect movement of the chute to the #2, #4, #7 and #8 positions. Thus, surfaces 2, 4, 7, and 8 fall outside the circle 87 at different radial distances from the center of the cam. Conversely, surfaces 3, 6, 10 and 9, falling inside the circle 87 at different radial distances from the center of the cam, enable indexing in a counterclockwise direction to the #3, #6, #10 and #9 positions. While the cam 83 is illustrated at a rather small scale in FIG. 2, it will be understood that surfaces 2, 4, 7, 8, 3, 6, 10 and 9 have sufiiciently different radii to effect the desired indexing of the chute to the proper pin drop positions, the pulley 77 being larger than the pulley 75 so that the latter has a greater angular movement than the former.

The scissors action of the chute halves in opening and closing between pin drop and pin holding positions is obtained by means including arms 90 (FIG. 4) fixed on the shafts 71 respectively and each including a cam follower roller 91 engaging a frusto-conical cam 93 vertically slidable on the shaft 68. When the cam 93 is disposed in its uppermost position as illustrated in full line in FIG. 3, the chute halves move to closed, pin holding positions. When the cam 93 is moved downwardly on the shaft 68 toward the broken line position illustrated in FIG. 3 the chute halves are pivoted outwardly away from each other toward the pin drop position illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 2. Suitable means may be provided for insuring return of the chute halves to the closed positions, such as tension spring 94 having opposite ends connected to arms 90.

Movement of the cam 93 up and down on the shaft 68 is eifected by a bell crank 95 having one arm 96 suitably connected to the cam 93 and second arm 97 pivotally connected to an actuating link 98. The opposite end of the link 98 is pivotally connected as at 99 to one end of a second bell crank pivoted as at 100 in the gear box 40 and having a cam follower roller 102 engageable with a series of camming pins 104 projecting laterally from the indexable cam 83. The pins 104 correspond respectively to the surfaces 1-10 on the cam 83, so that after each positioning of the chute in a discharge position the chute halves are pivoted to pin drop positions. Accordingly, the pins 104 fall approximately on a radii passing from the center 84 to the respective surfaces 1-10. The amount of opening movement imparted to the chute halves may be controlled by the radial distance of the pin 104 from the center 84. Thus, it will be noted that all of the pins 104 except that corresponding to surface 5 lie approximately equal distances from the center 84 while the pin 104a corresponding to surface 5 lies a greater distance from the center 84 to thereby impart a greater pivotal movement to the chute halves to drop the #5 pin than that imparted to drop the remaining pins. This enables dropping the #5 pin substantially downwardly beneath the chute while the remaining pins are directed downwardly and laterally outwardly.

In use, it is contemplated that the pin distributing mechanism described would be embodied in an automatic pinsetting installation and would be equipped with suitable controls to effect automatic pin distribution from the conveyor 10 to the deck 12. For example, a control feeler may be provided as at 110 on the cross conveyor 10 to sense the presence of a passing pin. Assuming the chute is in proper condition to receive such a pin, the signal imparted by the feeler 110 of the gear box 40 would then enable movement of the feeler sufficiently to allow the pin to pass onto the chute. Automatically, indexing of the cam 83 through A revolution would follow. Normally, such an automatic distribution cycle would begin with the dropping of the pin after which distribution to the remaining positions would follow in sequence in the order of the surfaces 1-10 as the cam rotates in a counterclockwise direction.

I claim:

1. A pin distributing mechanism, comp-rising, a rotatably indexable bracket, a pair of chute halves pivotable on the bracket toward and away from each other bed tween a closed position forming a pin support and an open position for dropping the pin, means for pivoting the halves toward and away from each other, and means for indexing the bracket between a pin receiving position and an angularly spaced pin discharge position.

2. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a chute including a pair of chute halves, means mounting the chute halves for pivotal movement toward and away from each other between a pin supporting position and a pin drop position, means mounting the chute halves for pivotal movement together between a pin receiving position and a plurality of angularly spaced pin discharge positions, means for pivoting the chute halves together between the pin receiving and pin discharge positions, and means for pivoting the chute halves relative to each other between pin supporting and drop positions.

3. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a pin distributing chute including a pair of chute halves, means mounting the chute halves for pivotal movement toward and away from each other between a closed pin supporting position, and a plurality of open pin drop positions, and means for pivoting the chute halves between the closed position and a partially open position for directing a pin laterally and downwardly outwardly from the chute, or between the closed position and a fully open position to drop a pin downwardly substantially beneath the chute.

4. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, a support rotatably indexable outhe frame, a pin distributing scissors chute including a pair of chute halves pivotable on the support toward and away from a closed position for supporting a pin and a plurality of open positions for dropping a pin, means for indexing the support to move the chute halves together between a pin receiving position and a plurality of angularly spaced pin discharge positions, means for pivoting the chute halves between the closed pin supporting position and a partially open position for directing a pin laterally and downwardly outwardly from the chute, or between the closed position and a fully open position to drop a pin downwardly substantially beneath the chute, and means for receiving pins from the chute at the pin discharge positions.

5. A pin distributing mechanism,, comprising, a frame, a support bracket pivotable on the frame about an upright axis, a pair of upright shafts pivotable on the support bracket, a pin distributing chute including a pair of chute halves, one secured on each shaft in generally parallel inclined positions defining a cavity for holding a bowling pin in an inclined position base down, means for pivoting the shafts to move the chute halves away from each other to a pin drop position, and means for indexing the support bracket between a pin receiving position and at least one pin discharge position angularly spaced from the pin receiving position.

6. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, an upright shaft indexable in the frame, a support bracket secured on the shaft and movable therewith, a pair of upright shafts pivotable on the support bracket, and a pin distributing scissors chute comprising a. pair of chute halves one secured on each of said pivotable shafts in generally parallel positions defining a cavity for holding a bowling pin in a reclining position.

7. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 6, including means for indexing said indexable shaft to move said chute between a pin receiving position and a plurality of angularly spaced pin discharge positions, comprising, a driven pulley on the indexable shaft, a belt passing around said pulley a drive pulley having said belt trained therearound, and means for rotating the drive pulley.

8. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 7, wherein the last recited means comprises, an arm fixed on the drive pulley and having a cam follower, a rotatable cam engageable by said follower and indexable through a plurality of angular steps, said cam having a plurality of surfaces angularly spaced thereon and of a radius to 7 dispose said chute in said pin receiving position when the cam is at rest, and, intermediate said surfaces, a plurality of additional surfaces for effecting indexing of the chute to said pin discharge positions.

9. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 6, including means for indexing said indexable shaft to move said chute between a pin receiving position and a plurality of angularly spaced pin discharge stations, comprising, a rotatable cam indexable through a plurality of angular steps, a cam follower engaging the cam and movable back and forth, means connecting the cam follower and said indexable shaft to index the latter as the former moves back and forth, said cam having a plurality of angularly spaced surfaces thereon of a radius to dispose said chute in said pin receiving position, and, intermediate said surfaces, a plurality of additional surfaces of radii for indexing of the chute to said pin discharge positions and a plurality of surfaces connecting the first recited surfaces and the second recited surfaces.

10. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 6,

including means for pivoting said pair of upright pivotable shafts relative to each other to move the chute halves toward and away from each other between said generally parallel pin holding positions and open positions for dropping the pin, comprising, a pair of arms one fixed on each of said upright pivot-able shafts and each having a cam follower, a conical cam slidable on said upright indexable shaft and engaging said cam followers, and means for moving the cam up and down.

11. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 10, wherein the last recited means comprises, a pivoted bell crank having one arm pivotally connected to the conical earn to move the same up and down, and cam operated means for pivoting the crank arm.

12. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 6, including means for pivoting said pair of upright pivotable shafts relative to each other to move the chute halves toward and away from each other between said generally parallel pin holding positions and open positions for dropping the pin, comprising, a rotatably indexable cam having a plurality of angularly spaced cam surfaces thereon, a pivoted bell crank having a cam follower on one arm engageable with said cam surfaces, and means connecting the other crank arm to pivot said chute halves to open positions on engagement of said follower with said surfaces,

13. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a pin distributing scissors chute including a pair of chute halves disposed in generally parallel inclined positions defining a cavity for holding a bowling pin in an inclined position base down, means mounting the chute halves for pivotal movement toward and away from each other between said pin holding position and an open pin drop position, means mounting the chute halves for pivotal movement together between a pin receiving position and a plurality of angularly spaced pin discharge positions, and a conveyor for delivering pins base first one at a time to the upper end of the chute.

14. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 13, including a pin receiving deck disposed beneath said chute and having a plurality of pin receivers positioned respectively beneath said pin discharge positions of the chute.

15. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a pin distributing scissors chute including a pair of chute halves disposed in generally parallel inclined positions defining a cavity for holding a bowling pin in an inclined position base down, means mounting the chute halves for pivotal movement toward and away from each other between said pin holding position and an open pin drop position, means mounting the chute halves for pivotal movement together between a pin receiving position and a plurality of angularly spaced pin discharge positions, and a pin receiving deck disposed beneath said chute and having a plurality of pin receivers positioned respectively beneath said pin discharge positions of the chute.

16. A pin distributing chute, comprising, a pair of chute halves approximately equal the length of a bowling pin, disposed in generally parallel inclined positions, and defining a cavity for holding a pin in an inclined position base down, said chute halves each having a side wall and an inwmdly extending bottom wall, said walls at the lower end of said chute conforming generally to the configuration of the lower portion of a bowling pin, said side Walls at the lower end of, the chute terminating in end portions spaced apart less than the diameter of the base of a pin to prevent a pin sliding out of the chute, and means pivotally mounting each chute half adjacent the upper end thereof.

References (Jilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,627,414 Schaffer May 3, 1927 2,452,375 Harkness Oct. 26, 1948 2,507,800 Mekelburg May 16, 1950 2,588,297 Scheppe Mar. 4, 1952- 2,736,554 Fluke et 'al. Feb. 28, 1956 2,820,636 Estabrook Jan. 21, 1958 

